


everybody has scars

by depresseddemoness



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Self-Harm, past self-harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:56:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28975479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/depresseddemoness/pseuds/depresseddemoness
Summary: Emily finds JJ in a moment of distress, and helps her through it. tw for self-harm!!
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Kudos: 54





	everybody has scars

**Author's Note:**

> tw for self-harm! its not too graphic but its there both presently and in the past-tense.

Emily and JJ had been dating for a few months; taking it slow so that their relationship would last after years of pinning after each other. Their relationship had been nothing vulnerable but stolen kisses and touches here and there. 

Emily had noticed that JJ had become more closed off than ever before. They had been having nothing but short, curt conversations all week. Emily became increasingly more worried about not just JJ, but also their relationship. JJ seemed to be pulling away from her, and she racked her brain for possible reasons why. Did she do something wrong? Was JJ bored of her? Was JJ okay? She didn't want their relationship to fall apart due to lack of communication, and if JJ was suffering, she didn't want her to face her demons alone.

So here she was, at JJ’s house, unannounced. It was the evening; around 8pm. Emily couldn’t keep watching JJ suffer and not try to help. She knocked. No answer. She thought that maybe JJ wasn’t home until she heard a noise come from inside. Emily tried the door, and surprisingly, it was unlocked. As she walked inside, the house looked clean and was quiet. 

“JJ? Are you here?” Emily spoke aloud.

When she received no response, she carefully explored her girlfriends house, now increasingly worried for her safety. After looking around the whole house, the only place she knew she hadn’t checked was JJ’s bathroom, upstairs. She made her way as carefully and quietly as she could, and opened the door, without knocking. What she saw inside broke her heart.

She saw JJ, on the floor, looking up at her with tears in her eyes as she tried to cover the open, fresh scars on her arms with the sleeves of her shirt. 

“JJ…” Emily whispered.

“E-Emily…w-what are you doing here?” JJ asked Emily in a broken voice, before more tears ran down her face.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay Jen..” Emily spoke softly as she kneeled down to the floor to scoop up JJ in her arms as JJ began to sob.

After JJ’s sobs turned into soft sniffles, Emily pulled back from the hug, cupping JJ’s cheeks and swiping her tears away.

JJ braced herself for Emily to tell she is weak, and disgusting. But Emily never did. She still sat and wiped away her tears.

“You aren’t alone JJ, you have me, you always have me.” Emily said, with only love written on her face.

“I’m sorry.” JJ said so quietly, Emily almost couldnt hear it.

Emily ushered JJ into her arms once again, and kissed her head.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Jen. It’s okay.” Emily said softly in JJ’s ear.

“How can you not be disgusted? I am so weak.” JJ spoke quietly into Emily’s neck.

Emily held her tighter. “How can you say that? You’re strong. So, so strong. you’re the strongest person i know.”

JJ nodded against her, staying in Emily’s arms. They sat in silence, comforted by nothing but each other's touch. 

After a few minutes of silence, Emily spoke up. “It will get better, Jen. I can promise you that.”

“How do you know, em?” JJ asked, speaking just as quietly as she spoke before.

Emily pulled back from the hug suddenly, leaving JJ missing Emily’s touch already. Emily sat back from her, looking away, before speaking again.

“I’m going to show you something, okay?” Emily said, somewhat hesitantly. 

“Okay..” JJ said, with uncertainty in her voice.

Emily pulled the sleeves of her shirt up, and JJ’s heart dropped. She saw years worth of scars decorating her girlfriends arms. 

“Em..” JJ whispered.

“I’ve been there too, Jen. It’ll get better. I’m here for you; i always have been, and i always will be, okay?”

JJ nodded as she carefully ran her hands up and down Emily’s arms.

She looked back up at Emily, pausing her movements. “Is this okay?”

Emily quickly nodded with soft eyes and a smile.

JJ resumed her movement from earlier, her head now down and looking over and analysing every scar on Emily’s arm.

“T-These aren’t recent, right?” JJ said softly, trying not to ruin the moment that was being shared between them.

“No, Jen, don't worry, i haven't done this since before the BAU, okay?” Emily said as she tilted JJ’s jaw up with her hand to look in her eyes. “This isn’t about me, it’s about you. Let me clean these for you, Jen.” she said as she looked down at JJ’s arms, noticing how red and irritated they were.

JJ nodded, and went to sit on the rim of her bathtub while Emily looked in JJ’s cabinets for bandages. Emily found the bandages in the top cabinet, and then went over to JJ, kneeling next to her.

Emily took JJ’s arms delicately. “I need to run these under some water to clean the wounds out, and it's going to hurt a little bit, okay?”

JJ just nodded her head. Emily took her to the sink, and turned in on, testing the water with her hand before wearily moving JJ’s arm underneath the running water.

JJ hissed in pain and bit her lip. 

“We’re almost done Jen.”

After the first arm was cleaned, Emily took JJ’s other arm and led it under the running water, just like before. After she was done rinsing the wounds, Emily took the bandages she found earlier and wrapped them around JJ’s arms.

“Do you feel better?” Emily asked as she ran her hands through JJ’s hair lightly.

JJ smiled, finding that she did feel better, especially with Emily now running her fingers through her hair. “Yes, thank you, Em.”

“Anytime, Jen.” Emily looked up at the clock hanging on the wall behind JJ. “It’s getting late, do you want to sleep and get some rest?”

JJ nodded, now leading Emily to her bedroom. JJ climbed into bed first, and Emily, not knowing if she should stay, (she wanted to) or go, stood still.

JJ noticed Emily still standing, and asked quietly, “will you stay with me tonight, em?”

At JJ’s words, Emily quickly climbed into bed next to JJ before even responding. She laid down, opening her arms to JJ, who accepted, wrapping her arms around Emily's torso and burying her face in her neck.

“Thank you, Em.”

“Always, Jennifer.” Emily murmured in JJ’s ear before they both drifted off into a deep sleep in eachother's arms.  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!


End file.
